Question : Supplementary Nutrition Programme

(a) whether the Government has taken note that nearly half of that mid day meal samples collected during a survey has failed to meet the nutrition norms prescribed under Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP);
(b) if so, the details of the States that have failed the prescribed nutrition norms under the said Programme;
(c) whether the Government has discussed the findings of the survey with the States/UTs and directed them to resolve the discrepancies; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the response of the States/UTs thereto?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d)Mid Day Meal is provided in Government schools as per the standards of nutritional norms as prescribed in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act, 2013. Further, MHRD has informed that total 13 complaints regarding poor quality of food have been received in implementation of Mid Day Meal Scheme during the last two years and current year. As informed by MHRD, overall responsibility for providing cooked and nutritious Mid Day Meal for eligible children lies with State Government and UTs Administration.

Supplementary Nutrition is provided to the children between 6 months to 36 months of age and Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers under Anganwadi Services. In order to ensure the quality of Supplementary Nutrition provided under Anganwadi Services, the Government has introduced a 5-tier monitoring and review mechanism at National, State, District, Block and Anganwadi Levels for which guidelines were issued on 31.03.2011. Under these guidelines, monitoring of quality of supplementary nutrition is one of the roles of the State, District, Block and Anganwadi Level Committees.

Also, Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of this Ministry in collaboration with the State Governments/UTs carries out periodic checks to ensure prescribed standards with reference to nutritional norms are adhered to. The States/UTs are informed periodically about any deficiency with respect to the nutrition norms in the samples tested.

Additionally, the States/UTs have been advised to identify and involve Government Food Analysis Laboratories to get the supplementary nutrition samples analyzed.
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